Re: [PLUG] plug Digest, Vol 154, Issue 34

[brent timothy saner <brent.saner@gmail.com>]

On 09/19/2017 05:22 PM, Greg Helledy wrote:
> 
> On 9/19/2017 4:05 PM, plug-request@lists.phillylinux.org wrote:
>> rather than tell you what*i*  use, i'ma ask some questions here to find
>> out what's best for*you*.
>>
>> do you plan on implementing separate networks?
> 
> I don't plan to now, but would like to be able to in the future (thus a
> model with 4 LAN ports instead of 2).
> 
>>
>> do you like to dig deep into the internals and making them perform
>> *exactly*  how you like even if it takes a lot of time, or are you more
>> interested in getting a configuration set up that "mostly works" like
>> you want it to as long as it's a quick setup?
>>
>> (similarly, do you prefer to grok what you set up or do you prefer
>> turnkey applications?)
>> do you need/want a graphical (web) interface? if not, do you prefer
>> something more "*nix-y" (managing services directly) or more
>> "appliance-y" (abstraction layer/CLI specifically designed for the role
>> is present)?
>>
>> do you want to pay money for it?
> 
> All good questions.  I intend for this device to be pretty much an
> appliance, shuffling bits back and forth for months on end without me
> logging in.  Basically like my Tomato router, but with more powerful
> hardware and more expandability down the road, if I want to VPN into my
> home computers or have a second LAN to separate my PC from a Smart TV.
> 
> In that kind of use, I'll probably forget the details of how things work
> between logins and would benefit from a UI that guides me to a working
> solution quickly, even if it's not the most efficient possible.  That
> said, it should have a terminal app for when the situation arises that
> the designers didn't have in mind and being able to edit a config is
> essential.  It should have a web UI and OSS components are preferred
> over proprietary ones.
> 
> I don't think I need to pay money, I know I can use the community
> edition of ClearOS (once upon a time Clarkconnect) for free and I don't
> need handholding as long as the product is not still in a beta stage of
> maturity.
> 
> It didn't occur to me that there would be a Wikipedia page to answer
> this question, although it's still just a list, not representing the
> collective wisdom of this group as to which are better for my purpose.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_router_and_firewall_distributions
> 


while i personally don't use it as part of my infra, i've used enough of
it for various testing and documentation- it sounds like you definitely
want pfSense. it has that blend of "appliance-y not DIY,
not-consumer-but-not-enterprise," etc. that it sounds like you're
looking for.

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